Okay I know I said we were off sailing but TBH's teeth have their own agenda. So they chose this week to start causing problems, and wanting to be safe we made an appointment with the 'white mans saviour' Dr Sonja.
Sailing is postponed for a few days so I would like you to picture the scene...
Early this morning we scrambled around for an early brekkie(yes it was a pancake day) and headed upstream in the dinghy to catch a 'collectiva' for the town of Morales, some 40 minutes drive away. Feeling very lucky we found an empty van and leapt aboard, claiming a whole seat each. Now this is a rare event on these buses, technically seating around 12 they regularly stuff 20 plus onboard! Makes for an intimate journey with the local who is either sitting on your lap, peering down your shirt front or politely lifting a thigh to allow you to insert yours underneath! Maybe you don't want to spend too much time on this picture in your head...
A lovely drive through the countryside, past lazy Brahma cattle with just gorgeous floppy ears laying under any shade they can find. A cowboys horse tied beside the road whisking the flies from it's back as it awaits it's gaucho and more work. Stalls piled high with freshly cut pineapples. You get the scene.
We arrive in the bustling town. I love it here. A gringo is still a rare sight and the vibrancy and colours are amazing. Everything underlined with the insistent rythmn of crazy latin music. It gets under your skin this sound, you find your toes starting to tap and hips swaying all on their own! A gang of ladies mounted on bright red motorbikes crept past the bus, sort of heavens angels I suppose. One with mum, daughter and granddaughter all mounted on the one machine. Another with mum and small daughter dressed in matching neon pink outfits...
As we sat on the balcony outside Dr Sonja's surgery overlooking the market another gringo couple puffed their way up the stairs, she heavily pregnant and obviously feeling every degree of the stifling heat, he carrying a small boy, not happy at the outing!
After a while we started talking, he is a journalist covering Guatemala for an international news agency and she a BRIT! Well blow me down, as I commiserated with her she explained they were down on the Rio for a short holiday from their home in the Highlands, but she had a nasty mouth infection and was feeling like shit.
Would you believe that she came from about 3 miles from my home in the UK!! And went to the same school as my two daughters....good grief what are the chances of that meeting!!It really can be a very small world!
(And we were very relieved that Dr Sonja gave TBH a clean bill of health, false alarm...this time!)
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